Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has recently made some statements that have caused a massive wave of backlash on social media. In that wave, he has found from deep-down supporters to fierce detractors, monopolizing the main topic of conversation for a while.
His claims, about the UK’s demographic shift, found a lot of support from Donald Trump’s allies in the United States, who officially declared their passion for the “Red Devils.” While the connection between the billionaire owner and the American “MAGA” people might seem distant, the bridge is being built on the shared narrative about national sovereignty, identity, and the issues with immigration, and the colonization of Western economies by what they despicably call “aliens”.
“The UK has been colonised by immigrants”
While talking to Sky News in a recent interview, he shared his concerns about the future of the United Kingdom. According to a report by OutKick, the founder of INEOS and minority owner of Manchester United claimed that the increasement of people who are purposely taking on benefits and resources away from taxpayers is a major problem in the country:
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it? The population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people
These comments were immediatelly labled as xenophobic or racist and sparked the anger of a massive audience that did not hesitate to show their ire.
However, for Trump supporters, Ratcliffe’s words sounded like a British echo of their own domestic concerns so they showed him appreciation and backup.
Will his comments divide the club?
If you are a bit of a soccer fan, you will know what Manchester United represents not only in England but in Europe. Their fanbase, one of the biggest in the world, is also known for its incredible and proud diversity, so these comments will bring future discussions guaranteed.
The United community, formed by local fans in Manchester, is mostly made up of working-class and historically left-leaning people who now find themselves in a very awkward position. We must remember how complicated and long the transition to becoming an American-owned club was back in June 2005, with the majority of the supporters completely against it. Local fans have never been on the owners’ side since the takeover, and now, even less.
For the American fan, this has nothing to do with soccer but supporting what they perceive as a stand against the colonization of traditional Western economies, something they strongly defend in the U.S. This will be the center of debate for a long time.
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